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You can put any bulb in any hood, but you need to make sure that your ballast wattage matches your bulb wattage. Depending on the wattage of your bulb, you want to make sure that the plant is positioned at the right distance from the bulb (1000 watt=2 feet, 600 watt=18 inches, 400 watt=12 inches, 250 watt=12 inches). You want to have at least 100 watts per plant. Grow bulbs last an average of 1 to 1.5 years. Grow bulbs are specifically engineered for growing and are tuned to the color spectrum for plants to grow.
The best bulb for white ballasts is Hortilux, while for digital ballasts the best bulb is Ushio. T5 modern fluorescents with smaller tubing come in cool white and warm white. Cool white is best for vegetation and the warm white is best for flowering. You can also mix cool/warm/cool/warm/cool/warm within your hood for full spectrum light. These bulbs are only sold at grow stores. Metal Halide bulbs are for vegetation growth and has a blue spectrum. HPS (High Pressure Sodium) bulbs provide for more flower production with its red spectrum making flowers grow faster. If you have any questions or are unsure of the right bulb for your growing purposes, contact us.